pregnancy and other fun stuff

Wow, I'm glad I don't get paid to blog b/c I would be living on the street. :) I'm not sure why it's so hard for me to get on here. But I've added a link to my toolbar, so maybe that will motivate me to do better. maybe...

Ok, biggest news - I'm pregnant!! Yes, again. And yes, this is #5. No, I can't say for sure this is the last one. Trust me, I've heard all the comments. So unless you are going to say "Congrats! That's wonderful news! You're such a great mom, you should have a dozen" or something along those lines, please zip it! I don't need any more "don't you know what causes that? You're a human, not a baby making machine!" or similar comments. Some people are just ignorant. How many kids I have is between me, my husband, and God. All others need not comment unless it is to tell us how happy you for us.

Ok, now that we've gotten that out of the way - here are the details: due Sept 23 (but you know mine always come early), don't know the sex - yet. I have an u/s on Monday so hopefully we'll find out then. I hate it when they say "I think it's a ..." I want to know FOR SURE. They were "almost positive" Caleb was a girl. Well, he wasn't. So I'd rather them tell me for sure or not at all. No names picked out yet. Chris and I each have 3 favorites and we don't agree on the others' choices. So this could be fun. We did this with the others as well. We finally knew we had the right name when we both didn't hate it.

Madison is doing great! Her next hip check is in June. We just passed the 1 year mark since our journey began. Her ortho dr says she will be coming out of the brace in June, even though her socket is not deep yet. He did mention the possibility of another surgery, but I'm trying not to go there. I'm praying for God to deepen the socket, and that to be the end of it. She turned 2 last month, and is growing like crazy! Her vocabulary grows daily! She never ceases to amaze us. This week she gave up the "binkie". There were no tears shed (from either of us), so I think it was a good transition. So far, all of mine have been easy. *knock on wood* Now if we could just get her to tell us BEFORE she goes potty in her diaper, things would be awesome!

Megan - just turned 6! Can't believe it!! Miss Social Butterfly has been in trouble at school for talking - which is no surprise to me or her dad. She just seems to have a lot to say! ;) But academically she's doing great! So we can live with the rest. She has lost 1 tooth and has another loose one. She is so excited!

Conner is 7. He's doing great in school as well. They take reading tests (AR tests) whenever they have read a book, and Conner has gotten 100% on all of them except 1!! I am so proud of him! Looks like we have another reader on our hands. He is very discouraged by his sister's loss of teeth b/c he has yet to lose even one. He doesn't even have any loose ones. I mentioned it to the dentist, but he didn't seem concerned. I'm sure they will come out when they are ready, but poor Conner is not happy about it.

Caleb is 8. He is doing great in school as well. He is my little evangelist - always telling his friends about Jesus. Actually, all the kids do! I love it!! They are certainly not ashamed, and I hope that stays with them forever! He loves sports, and is always ready to play any game. The boys are going to play basketball this summer for the Y.

Well, I think that's enough for one night. Don't want to overload you with too much info in one night. But I'm going to try to blog more - how often do I say that??

long overdue

I can't believe the last time I posted was May. Oops. Guess I've been slacking - big time!! So, I will try to catch up on what's been going on. Let's start with the kids:

Madison is out of the cast!! She is in a hip abduction brace that keeps her legs as far apart as they can go. It's to keep her hip pushed into the socket to allow the bone to fully develop in the socket and therefore stay in place. She is allowed out of the brace for 3 hours a day. She will have another check up in February. At her last check (in October) the doctor was disappointed in her bone growth. :( He said we aren't back at square one (that's another surgery), just not as far along as he had hoped. So hopefully in February there will be a lot of progress.

Megan is in Kindergarten now. She only goes half day, but I'm happy with that. We get to spend the morning together, then her afternoons are at school. She's doing great! She played soccer for the Y in the fall.

Conner is in first grade. He got glasses last week. He looks so cute in them!! He had his eyes checked at school, and they sent home a note saying he needed a follow up with an eye dr. I asked him if he could see the chart at school, and he said "no, they made it too small to see." lol So now that he has glasses, he's realizing what he was missing out on before. Conner played flag football this fall. He had a bad coach and even worse assistant coach. I really wish I would have pulled him early in the season, but we stuck it out. We will NOT be requesting that coach again!

Caleb is in third grade - how is that possible??!! He is getting a "Reflections" award tomorrow night. This is a school-wide contest, and I am so proud of him!! He also played flag football, and has decided that he loves football. He is all about football now - watching it, playing it, etc. He is so cute!! He wants to be Sam Bradford. (OU quarterback before getting injured)

Chris was gone another 7 weeks this summer for Army training. It was easier this time. We were ready for it this time. He's back to taking seminary classes, so he stays very busy. We also celebrated our 1 year anniversary as youth pastor at our church this week. Very exciting!!

I'm pretty much the same. I'm teaching a different Beth Moore study at church right now. We are doing A Woman's Heart - God's Dwelling Place. It is so good, but I expected nothing less from Beth Moore. :)

We are welcoming the Christmas season!! We had to get a new tree this year, but that was expected. It's up and decorated. The rest of the house needs work, but at least the tree is up. Anyone who knows me knows I LOVE CHRISTMAS!!!! This is my favorite time of year!!! I look forward to this month all year!! So excited!!!

Ok, that's our update for now. I will try to do better about blogging here. Love you guys!!

Glad it's a new day!!

Yesterday was just one of those days!! The night before, I forgot to put an extra pad in Madison's diaper. (remember, she's in a spica cast, and doesn't wear her regular size) When I got her up in the morning, I could tell her diaper had leaked. Oh my had it leaked!!! The cotton liner of her cast was dripping wet!!! So I spent a good chunk of the day blow drying her cast! Then Megan dumped a new bag of dog food on the kitchen floor. While helping her clean up, I burned lunch. Oh yeah! It was one of those days!!! But today is a new day! And the cast is dry! Madison is cranky today. Not sure what's up there. I hope she's not getting sick, and if she is, I hope she gets over it by next week. We have a cast change on Wednesday, and since they knock her out for that, they won't do it if she's sick.

Bible study is going great! I'm leading our women's group in the Esther Bible Study by Beth Moore. I feel so inadequate as a teacher, but my hubby said a couple of women had told him what a wonderful teacher I am. That is so humbling! I pray that God continues to use this study to change the lives of the women in attendance.

On Sunday nights, we are doing the Love Dare Bible study. (from the Fireproof movie) It's going great! Chris and I are actually in a good point in our marriage, but this just adds so much to it! I hope each of you will considering doing it!

I think that's all for now. Madison needs me. :) Never a dull moment around here.
(((HUGS)))

the journey continues

We are now entering week 3 of the cast journey. Madison continues to amaze me!! She is still so happy!! The cast rarely bothers her. She does get a little frustrated when she can't turn over, but for the most part, she's accepted her situations. She has started scooting around! When she sees something on the floor she wants, she tries to get it.

We had a major diaper leak this weekend - up her back, down her legs, etc. It was one of those that would be nasty on a "regular" kid, but one in a cast is even worse!!! I cleaned it as best I can, but boy is the doctor in for a treat when he changes the cast. lol I'm positive it won't be the first time. In fact, it's probably more the norm.

Speaking of cast change, hers is the 20th. We have x-rays on Wednesday, and then the cast change 2 weeks after that. I really hope her new cast is smaller.

That's the latest around here. We are getting closer to school being out. We are all looking forward to that! Hubby finished up his classes last week, so he has more free time now! woohoo!!

Hope everyone's doing well! (((HUGS)))

Day 28 - Fourth of July!!

Happy Independence Day!!

Madison was up early today. I think it was b/c she had a runny nose. She had a bottle, and went right back to sleep.

We went shopping w/ my parents today, and I got the girls a new dresser for their room. I almost bought a couch also, but I wanted to think on it a little longer. I hate making a huge purchase like that without Chris. But the dresser was definitely needed!! Now I can get some real work done in their room.

This evening we went to my parents' house for fireworks. They had bought some, and my firework-crazy brother had bought a bunch. lol We had lots of fun. At first the kids were scared, but then they thought it was fun. Funny thing is - Madison wasn't scared at all. She loved it!!! My mom was trying to give her a bottle, and she would take a few swallows then turn her head to see what we were doing. It was such a good evening! It would have been perfect if Chris had been there. :( Only a couple more weeks and he'll be home. I'm so glad.

On the downside, I've been battling a headache all day, and it's getting worse. Guess I need to get to bed.

And so it begins...

The next six weeks are going to be very hard for me. Chris, my hubby, is on his way to South Carolina with the National Guard. This will be the longest we have ever been apart. The second longest would be last year when he was gone for 2 weeks with the Guard. I know there are many other military families out there that have had to go through much worse than this, but this is my blog, and it's about my life. ;) So here I get to freely discuss how much I dislike this.

This is what I wrote in my journal last night:

My quiet time verse is I Thess. 5: 16-18 (NIV). It's so fitting for today. "Be joyful always; pray continuously; give thanks in all circumstances, for this is God's will for you in Christ Jesus."
We are in Arkansas spending our last couple of days with Chris for a while. It's hard to be joyful and thankful when thinking about the next 6 weeks w/o him. I'm scared. I don't want to give thanks. But I know I should. God has a plan and a reason for this. I may not understand or be happy about it. But I need to still be joyful and thankful. and I will definitely need to pray continuously. :) We will survive the next 6 weeks, and I will be stronger on the other side.

reflections on the day my oldest turns 7

It does not seem possible that I have a seven year old! It doesn't feel like I've been a mom for 7 years. I still picture my kids as being little. But as Chris pointed out - Caleb doesn't even look like a "little kid" anymore. It's crazy! Where has the time gone? Then I look at Madison - she'll be 3 months old on the 5th. How has it been 3 months since she was born? Wasn't it just last week that I was waddling around, huge pregnant?!

Times like this make me reflect - have I been a good mom? Am I doing a good job of raising the kids? Do I spend enough time with them? Do they know how much I love them? Do I have a good balance of discipline so as to not be too permissive or too strict? Will they grow up warped? Because to be honest - on most days, I don't think I'm a good enough mom. I always think of mistakes I've made. I know no one is perfect. And I just have to pray for God's guidance b/c I have no clue. Thankfully, I know where to turn when I'm confused. I pray for my children to find God at a young age. I want them to avoid years of pain, mistakes, hurt, etc. I know salvation doesn't guarantee they won't experience those things, but life is so much easier when you have God to lean on. I think we are doing decent in that area. We let Caleb pick out a Bible for his birthday. And since we got it, he's been reading it on his own. He will just decide he wants to read, and go find his Bible! I am so thankful! He could be filling his head with worthless junk like those very popular "children's" series (you can probably figure out what I'm talking about.) But instead, he's filling his head with stories of the faith. Stories that he can look back to when he's an adult. I am so proud of him! He also knows we only listen to Christian music. You can probably tell from my playlist, we like rockin' Christian music. The "rockin'" part doesn't bother me. I just don't want my kids filling their heads w/ bad lyrics and immoral messages. I want everything they read, see, and hear to be positive.

Today, I was in the kitchen helping Conner with something. I said "Do you know I love you?" and he said "yes, mom, you tell me like every day!" (he said it in an annoyed "of course I know" voice) But I said "Good! I don't want you to ever forget." It's moments like that, that I will treasure forever!

And Chris is a wonderful dad! He's always been the early bird. (I'm the night owl. Hence my posting at 10:35 at night.) But since he's always up early, he takes care of Madison in the morning. She gets up between 5:30 and 7:30 every morning. The other day he told me that's his "Maddy and Daddy time". He treasures those mornings with her. I know he worries about being gone for so long. He'll be gone for 6 weeks. That's a long time when your only 3 months old. She'll be so different when he gets back. At least it's only 6 weeks. Someday it will probably be 15 months. :( Anyway, he is very careful to spend one-on-one time with each child. If he has to run to the store for something, he always takes at least one kid along. I know those are going to be wonderful memories for the kids and for Chris. I am so glad he's the kind of dad that *wants* to be actively involved with is kids. He is such a good dad!

Well, it's been a long day. This night owl is ready to call it a day.